


The Cupbearer (his cup is empty)

by fosfomifira



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 15:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3387410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fosfomifira/pseuds/fosfomifira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nate is Ganymede, Zeus is ___. Greek myth AU, with all that can imply.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cupbearer (his cup is empty)

It was supposed to be an honor, one above mere mortals, one above even the sons of kings and nymphs. 

Nate knows had been blessed since birth, his family a loving one - his father a wise and kind king who knew to how to be stern when the situation called for it, when the honor and integrity of his lands were in question. His mother was beautiful, a nymph unlike many others. She chose to remain with her mortal husband, no ill will toward him once she saw how tenderly he loved her, how much he cared for their children.

He grew quickly and painlessly, the usual clumsiness of boys turning into men never touching his body. His skin, it was said, was as smooth as a whisper, rose petals rough and pale in comparison to his lips. Tall he stood amongst other youth, tall and proud, but never abusing his power. There was no need to draw attention to himself or force his command on others. The quickness and prudence of his wits, his love of learning made it easy for him to gain the respect and love of his people. 

His mother looked at him with growing sadness the closer he got to manhood. She'd kiss his forehead and tie charms around his wrists. "For protection," she said, never sharing the secrets of the powerful magic spells woven into the charms. "Never take them off, no matter what."

Nate obeyed her. He even followed her advice, asking his closest friends not to call him by the name his father the king had bestowed upon him. "Do not attract attention to yourself," she said, and Nate obeyed, knowing there was much power in her words.

And yet, no matter what he called himself, young men and older men, warriors and wise men alike, they all gathered to see him exercise. No one else drew that much attention. His body, the voices whispered, is perfect. The color of his hair, the very shade of the rising sun on ripe wheat. The color of his eyes, they insisted, like the deepest, richest forests in his father's kingdom. Not a man in the land was indifferent to his beauty, and many others travelled from far just for a glimpse of him.

None of this mattered to him. One day he'd take a wife and father children, and rule as wisely and bravely as his father did, but until that day came, he had his companions, the young men he had grown with. Despite what stories stated, Nate knew himself to be far from perfect, his body shapely but not as skilled in battle as that of others. He certainly was not as tall, nor as strong as his dearest friend, the closest of friends.

His father the king knew about their friendship, as did his mother, as did his brother. They all loved him too well, knowing that Nate's heart was as full of beauty as his body. The burden of rule would one day fall upon him, duties leaving no time for the peace and joy he found with his dearest and closest friend.

A storm came one day, dirt and sand from faraway lands clouding the skies, turning day into night. Nate did his duty, helping everyone he could. If someone fell while seeking shelter, he was there to lift them to their feet. So many he helped he did not notice when his mother's bracelet slipped from his wrist, not until his companion helped him wash when the storm was over.

"Maybe we should look for it," Brad said. "Your mother always insisted you should never take it off."

"We would never find it in this darkness. When dawn comes, you'll help me look for it, or ask my mother to make me a new one," Nate said, his mouth soft on Brad's rough lips as they kissed.

Dawn came, but seeing Brad so exhausted in their bed, Nate found his way out of their rooms alone, unwilling to wake him up. Tracing back their steps from the day before, Nate kept his eyes to the ground, looking left and right for the charm he mother had given him. 

"There!" he said, and rushed to grab it, only to see a great eagle descend from the skies and take it away. The bird was magnificent, far larger than any other seen in the kingdom before. It perched on a large tree, the tallest that grew in the kingdom. It did not move, its eyes fixed on Nate.

Lightning struck in the clear morning sky, and when Nate looked up the eagle was no longer there. The tree was nothing but smoking ruins. A deep sense of fear flooded him, a reverential sort of fear.

"You are very beautiful, Ganymede," a voice said. It was Zeus, holding lightning in his hands, his eyes as sharp as the eagle's. "You should come with me," he said, and took once again the shape of the eagle, its claws now tight around Nate's wrists as he lifted him up to the skies.

Ganymede knows he'll never die, his place in the sky, his position of cupbearer to the gods an honor beyond the sons of kings and mortal men. What Zeus did to his beautiful body before presenting him to the gods it's not a story he's ever going to share. Up here, he is certain, no one would care to hear it. 

*

Time passes in its own special way for gods and those who serve them. What Ganymede thought to be an hour turned out to be a year and more. It took him even longer than that to look down on his father's lands. His father's beard had gone gray, his eyes filled with worry and sadness despite how prosperous his kingdom was. His mother would never age, but her hair did not shine as brightly as before, her song never heard again in the palace. His brother put on a brave face, but shed tears when he was certain no one could see him.

His dearest friend, his closest companion, his beloved Brad has turned into a powerful warrior. His skin is marred by one and many scars, but should he care for it he'd have no trouble finding someone to share his bed. And yet he sleeps alone, has slept alone since the day, so long ago, that he found Nate's bracelet forgotten on the ground, an eagle's feather lying nearby.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at the Fic(k) Fest hosted at the Generation Kill lj community for the ZeusxGanymede prompt.


End file.
